ALBANY – They think it’s a dope idea!

State Senate Democrats celebrated the “traditional” 4/20 marijuana holiday Thursday by establishing a panel devoted to hashing out issues involving legal weed.

Chronic delays in opening dispensaries have led to criticism that New York is killing the buzz around pot two years after legalization began, an issue newly-anointed Cannabis Subcommittee Chair Jeremy Cooney (D-Rochester) said he wants to hit.

“It’s no secret there have been frustrating setbacks in launching the adult-use recreational cannabis market in New York,” Cooney told The Post Thursday.

“My goal with this new subcommittee is to serve as a convener between cannabis regulators, entrepreneurs, advocates, law enforcement agencies and industry.”

The Assembly has yet to establish any similar subcommittee to hook legislators up on marijuana policymaking.

There is a need for some blunt talk about how the Legislature could prod the New York State Office of Cannabis Management to better serve the public on many fronts, Cooney said.

Consumer safety and illegal pot dispensaries are two major issues of concern that the subcommittee, whose members have not yet been publicly named, could help address by crafting legislative and policy recommendations, he went on.

“After agency regulations are approved, we need to better communicate a timeline for when New Yorkers can expect to apply for licenses so they can begin their business planning processes,” he said. “Most importantly, we are going to help deliver on the Senate’s commitment to building the most equitable cannabis marketplace in the nation.”

Pot players said they have high hopes of increasing legislative attention on how a flowering legal weed market could help people who previously suffered under prohibition, especially those from communities of color who are currently prioritized for licenses.

“It is critical the [Asian-American] community has a seat at the table as New York strives to reach its equity goals,” said Kristen Jordan, board president of the Asian Cannabis Roundtable.

Chris Alexander, executive director of the Office of Cannabis Management, praised the appointment of Cooney to lead the panel following months of criticism that the agency was not moving fast enough to open dispensaries.

One reason for delays has been New York’s focus on “equity” while deciding who should get licenses to make some green off legal weed, according to OCM spokesman Aaron Ghitelman.

“New York is the only state in the country to open legal adult-use cannabis sales with equity licensees,” Ghitelman said. “We’re focused on doing this the right way, and that takes time. All the while, we are working diligently to meet the clear demand to open more dispensaries.”

The number of Conditional Adult Use Retail Dispensary licenses doubled in March, with 165 joints now operating across the state.